Food for thought

Hookeye · December 06, 2010, 12:19:00 PM

On a recent thread somebody talked about "punching a tag" when they lost an animal.

Quite a few folks commented that such an action was commendable. I just consider it the right thing to do, not especially noteworthy. IMHO it probably ought to be standard procedure, but evidently it isn't.

Anyway.....

But I'm pretty much a backyard type of deer hunter- my tags are resident tags and not expensive. I haven't built up preference points for yrs, saved thousands of dollars for an out of state hunt and burned precious vacation days or brownie points at home to hunt.

I wonder how many folks who practice "punching tags" on lost critters in a similar hunting sense as mine, would be so willing to "punch the tag" if they flubbed it on the first day of a 10 day ten thousand dollar out of state hunt?

Don't need any posts saying yes or no, proving one's personal ethics are "better" than anothers'...........just wanted to toss that out for folks to ponder within themselves.

If you already practice a lost animal is a punched tag when hunting less expensively and close to home..............would you practice it when dumping a bunch of time/money on a once in a lifetime trip?

Just something to think about, how some ethics may be relative.

Cheers, H

December 06, 2010, 12:35:00 PM

uummmm? thats a good one!

SEMO_HUNTER · December 06, 2010, 12:40:00 PM

I don't really know how to feel about that.......but I'll keep pondering it.
I suppose it depends on how badly you need some meat in the freezer and if you have the luxury of multiple tags? Or how many mouths you have to feed?

Zradix · December 06, 2010, 12:42:00 PM

No. I wouldn't punch the tag unless I have the animal.
Whether it was a "cheap" local tag or expensive out of state. As long as it's legal not to do so.
I wouldn't give up looking either until I exhaust all options for finding it.,,dogs,IR,friends..etc.

Lost fatally wounded game is a unfortunate part of hunting. It happens. We all need to strive to do our absolute best to try to keep this from happening of course.

rlc1959 · December 06, 2010, 12:52:00 PM

On most guided hunts you only get one opportunity. If you hit an animal and draw blood, unless it is observed as a flesh wound that is your animal to look for the remainder of the hunt. I am sure there are exceptions to this. As far as hunter ethics that must come from within. I know of a hunter that hit a large buck this season and looked extensively for the animal for days. After exhausting all efforts to find this animal this hunter felt sick and threatened to give up hunting. I urged this person to get back out there and continue hunting. These things happen to everyone. My thoughts. RC

beetlebailey1977 · December 06, 2010, 12:54:00 PM

The only time I have to tag a whitetail is when it is a doe and not taken on a doe day. And if I shot one and lost it I would punch the tag to be correct.

Bent Rig · December 06, 2010, 09:36:00 PM

I particularly don't understand this punching of a tag when an animal isn't recovered , it happens every year to some . I look at it as something that wasn't meant to be and lastly it really isn't a waste because it's going back to nature . Nobody wants that to happen - but it does .

Stumpkiller · December 06, 2010, 09:42:00 PM

If you are hunting in parts of Africa, a VERY expensive hunt (I am told) the manditory pro hunter/guide with you will punch your tag and you will pay the "kill fee" even if the wounded animal is not recovered.

rastaman · December 06, 2010, 09:43:00 PM

Most ten day ten thousand dollar hunts would punch your tag for you if you wounded and lost the animal so that ethical dilemma would be solved for you. i understand what you are asking though, and that is a very thought provoking question.

Longspur77 · December 06, 2010, 09:49:00 PM

Have you ever lost a dove in the weeds or had a duck get away. Did you count him toward your bag limit. I do not. I agree with z in that I don't punch a tag if I don't have meat on table. IMHO

bad arrow · December 06, 2010, 09:50:00 PM

If one feels that much remorse I've gotta wonder what he's doing out there in the first place with bow and arrow. Though sad, but if you've truly done all you can do to recover the animal and still can't find it, chalk one up for the scavangers....Phil

Balding Kansan · December 06, 2010, 10:09:00 PM

It was more of a personal thing for this man. It was not just any deer. He had been watching the deer through trail cam pictures. Punching the tag was for closure, it was a way for him to justify not recovering it and give it respect.

longbowben · December 06, 2010, 11:18:00 PM

Thats a tough one,But i have placed my tag on a buck that i found 2 weeks later.But lost animals are part of hunting"THINGS HAPPEN"

Hookeye · December 07, 2010, 01:46:00 AM

Losing a critter sucks, but IMHO there are much worse things that can happen.

In that context, to not fully belittle the event, I just punch the tag. Respectful toward the game? Yeah to some degree.

More of a personal penalty for screwing up IMHO.